Britons are being 'bombarded' with sales emails with more than four in ten
people getting more than 100 a month.

The huge amount of spam suffered by Britons is laid bare today by research that shows millions of people are being "bombarded" by more than 100 unwanted marketing emails each month.

Which? said that, increasingly, people claim they are being sent marketing messages by companies they believe they have not agreed to be contacted by.

The consumer group stepped up its calls for far tougher rules on the trade in "personal data", claiming many firms are deliberately making it hard for customers to opt-out of receiving messages.

A survey carried out by the organisation found that six in ten people find the wording of marketing opt-ins or opt-outs confusing, and seven in ten Britons are now so worried about spam they think twice about providing their details to companies.

More than four in ten people get more than 100 unwanted marketing emails a month while 97 per cent believe they had not agreed to receive some of the emails.

Richard Lloyd, Which? executive director, said: "People are being bombarded by unwanted marketing emails and are thoroughly confused about whether they have given permission to being contacted.

"The Government must update the rules on electronic marketing to put people back in control of their data, and introduce an expiry date on consent to being contacted by third-parties."

The report comes just days after three judges overturned a £440,000 Information Commissioners Office (ICO) fine on a company inundating millions of mobile phone owners with spam texts.

A tribunal insisted the company, Tetrus Telecoms, had not caused substantial distress.

Lib Dem MP Mike Crockhart is publishing a Private Members Bill designed to strengthen the regulation around nuisance calls and texts today.

He said consumers had to be made aware where and when they are allowing companies to contact them, claiming: "All too often, companies use complicated langugage so people do not know what they have given consent to."

He added: "As was shown only last week through the Tetrus case, current legislation makes it far too difficult for regulators to prove cases in court.

"We need to shift the balance of proof onto those unscrupulous companies causing misery to families." Which? wants the Government to introduce an expiry date governing how long a company can pass a customer's information to "selected third parties".

It also wants a business to have to prove to the ICO that a person gave consent to being contacted.

Which? said more than half of those surveyed did not believe first-party marketing included being contacted by a company with a different name but owned by the same group.

Only 37 per cent idenitified that first parties can use customer details without them opting-in.

An investigation carried out by the watchdog into price comparison websites found that both such GoCompare and Confused.com use "hidden" out opt boxes, making it harder for people to prevent marketing messages coming through.

Which? said that since its research GoCompare had changed its website to let customers select "yes" or "no" when asked whether they want third-parties to contact them.